Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4,083, John Godfrey, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Godfrey, John
R 4,083
CONTENTS

No. 30.307
John Godfrey-

Report to Calvin Waldo Weston Lewis county V.A.
5th and Walnut Sts in Allegheny and South as well as French

5 th and United P. V. Valley and troops as well as French The general circumstances of his services is set forth above as nearly as he can now recollect.
6 th He rec d from each of his captains above named and and from some more written discharges He took no care of them after he got home. He became a crippled soon after the war closed and remained so wholly incapable of physical exertions wholly dependent on his children for aid in every sense of the word and he rejoices that they are both able and wil- ling to render it here -
7 th He is known in his present neighborhood to all the respectable members of it of whom he will men- tion George P Smith and George Fisher old man they as well as all others can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution there is no claymore re- -siding near him - Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid -
John Godfrey mark
We George P Smith and George Fisher residing in Lewis county in the state of Vir- -ginia hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Godfrey who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be eighty years of age that he is respected and believed in his neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
George P Smith George Fisher
And I the said David N. Stitt Justice of the peace in and for Lewis county in the state of Virginia aforesaid do hereby declare my opinion after the investi- -gation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories

presented by the war department that the above named ( John Godfrey ) was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. and I the said justice of the peace do hereby further certify that it appears to me that George P Smith and George Fisher who have signed and before me sworn to the preceding certificates are resident citizens of Lewis county in the said state of Virginia statement that they are credible men and their entitled to credit. I the said justice of the peace do further certify that the ap- plicant resides at least 12 miles distant from Lewis county court house that he is too frail to travel there without great inconvenience and risk and that there is no clergyman residing near him.
Given under my hand at the county of Lewis in the state of Virginia this 5 th day of November A.D. 1833
David W. Sleeth J.P.
State of Virginia } Lewis County } ss.
I, John Talbott, Clerk of the county
Court of Lewis County aforesaid do hereby certify that David W. Sleeth is a Magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine -
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Seal of Office at Weston this 2 nd day of December 1833 -
J. Talbott Clk

State of Virginia } ss
Lewis County } On this 5. th day of November 1833 personally appeared before me David W. Slatts a justice of the peace in and for Lewis county in the said state of Virginia. John Godfrey a resident of Lewis county in the state of Virginia aged Eighty seven years who being first duly sworn according to Law, clothed on his oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7. th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and was as herein stated.
That in the fall September 1796 he was drafted in Fauquier county Va in the Va. M a for three months under Captain Smith (he thinks) he was marched to Richmond Va then joined Col. Brooks regiment of militia was marched to Petersburg. There Tarried awhile and was marched back to Richmond. where about Christmas 1796 he was discharged having served four three months as an orderly sergeant. Again in the spring of 1797 he volunteered for six months in the Virginia militia under Captain Smith again (same captain) He was marched from Fauquier Courthouse to Fredericks. -being there joined Col. Mountjoy's regt. of Va. militia was kept there two months then marched down and across Stafford to Belle Plains in King George thence through King George to Matthias Point on the Potomac where we were stationed and kept a look out down the Po- tomac into Westmoreland county in Va Here in October 1797 he was discharged having served this time six months as a volunteer militia man bed as an orderly sergeant in Captain Smiths company of Va militia. Then in March 1798 he volunteered for three months to go down in Westmoreland county Va to watch the enemy along the Bay he marched under Captain Ball down into Westmoreland there joined Col. Ballard's regt. was marched to different points along the bay to watch the enemy down into North- umberland county where in June he was discharged having served three months as an orderly sergeant

in the War. His tour - Again the further volunteer for three months and under his same captain Ball and Col. Ballard He was stationed again along the Bay in Westmoreland a while then down again into Northumberland. Then down into Lancaster county to the town and to Windmill Point here he acted this whole tour as an orderly sergeant for three months this tour when he was discharged in October 1778 ha- ving served from the latter part of June 1778 till in October this last tour. Again in March 1779 he volunteer- -ed under captain Telfers for six months was marched down to Threlkyl Stafford - King George - Westmoreland and Richmond into Lancaster. There he joined a regiment of V a . M. a commanded by Col. Harrison. was stationed at the same point he was before was an orderly sergeant in captain La- -liafers company sometime in May 1779. The Bri- -tish came into Norfolk and burnt it passed on to Portsmouth burnt it - pushed up to Suffolk and burnt it. His col. was raised across the Rapp- -hannock crossed into Middlesex thence into Glou- -cester. crossed at Gloucester Rock down into York county thence into Warwick and down to Ken- -ton roads or opposite there from thence to Leam- -ton Town in Elizabeth city county. Here he con- -tinued until in Sept. his time was out. He again with his captain Col and some of the other militia volunteers to stay three months longer which he did still was an orderly sergeant and continued here till in December about Christmas when he was discharged having served nine months this year of 1779 as an orderly sergeant and vo- -lunteer in the V a . M. a  then in two tours one of six months and one of three months. Again in 1780 in May he volunteered in a company of Virginia Militia as an orderly sergeant under his former captain Smith. He was marched from Fauquier county V a to Richmond city there he joined a regiment under Col. Campbell of the

W. M. was stationed at Richmond city to guard the magazine and so till in August 1780 acted the whole time again as an orderly sergeant was dis- charged having served three months. This time he again volunteered for the IB for three months more under his same captain Smith as an orderly sergeant under Col Campbell who was still in command at Richmond. He was con- tinued there guarding the magazine till the first of December 1780 when he was again discharged ha- ving this time acted three months as an orderly ser- geant in the V. M. He returned home to Fauquier county. This was a hard winter, but sometime in this winter the British came up to Richmond and destroyed property to a large amount and burnt ma- ny houses. He again volunteered under his same captain Smith and marched in January 1781 as far as Fredericksburg but the severity of the weather and the bad clothing they had prevented going further. They returned home. And in March 1781 again set out un- der his captain Smith marched to Richmond was station- ed there sometimes had to retreat under Col Darke up the country was joined by more troops General Wayne with Pennsylvania troops. They returned to Richmond where the British & American generals maneuvered. Sometimes the British lay in Manchester the Americans on shockoe hill and back. The British fired of more than a trial of shell and concentrations of troops and some skirmishing near New Market. The British kept on to York and we followed at which place in October 1781 the Americans captured the British. He was then discharged having served more than six months. This time as an orderly sergeant or volunteer in the V. M. He removed then to what is now Hardy county in W. There he was drafted for three months under captain Neal Hol- comb & Williams to guard against the Indians and Tories was marched to different places in now Hardy Coun- -ty where he caught several Tories. He too acted here as a ser- geant and sometimes acted as such in commanding.

Francis Spies He served from March 1782 till in June 1782 when he was discharged having served three months as a sergeant in the Va. M o this term. He forthwith volunteered again for three months under the same captain. Upon re-enlistment as a sergeant and Francis Spies this he served from June 1782 till in October more than three months Col. Hutton's term ended this term he was discharged and this was his last service He acted during the revolutionary war three years and three months at least as a sergeant in the Va. M o from 1776 till 1782 both years included. He has no documentary evidence he knows of no person whose testimony he can give and who can testify to his services. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Subscribed and sworn to this day and year aforesaid.
John G. Godfrey
The several interrogatories inscribed by the war department were propounded to the applicant to which he answered as follows viz.
 1 st That he was born in Fauquier County in Virginia in the year 1746 as he always heard from his parents.  2 nd That he has no record of his age.  3 rd That he was living in Fauquier County Va from then to what is now Hardy in 1781. In 1800 he removed to Harrison County Va lived there till 1832 when he removed to his son in law's Lewis County whose name is George Duvall grand son of the distinguished John Pearce Duvall who so long acted as a Col in western Va He now lives in Lewis County Va.  4 th That he was first drafted was always after 1782 a volunteer each term in 1782 he was again drafted and again the same year volunteered.  5 th He saw & knew Generals M c Kesson Washington, Gen Fayette, Wayne, Lincoln, Muhlenberg. He saw some others French and Americans which he did not know. He saw regular 

5 th and Militia P a V a Valley and troops as well as French The general circumstances of his services is set forth above as nearly as he can now recollect.
6 th He rec d from each of his captains above named and and from some more written discharges he took no care of them after he got home. He became a cripple soon after the war closed and remained so wholly incapable of physical exertions wholly dependent on his children for aid in every sense of the word and he rejoices that they are both able and wil- ling to render it him.
7 th He is known in his present neighborhood to all the respectable members of it of whom he will men- -tion George P Smith and George Fisher old men they as well as all others can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution there is no day younger re- -siding near him. Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
John Godfrey mark
We George P Smith and George Fisher residing in Lewis county in the state of Vir- -ginia hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Godfrey who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be eighty seven years of age that he is respected and believed in his neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
George P Smith George Fisher
And I the said David W. Stith Justice of the peace in and for Lewis county in the state of Virginia aforesaid do hereby declare my opinion after the investi- -gation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories

presented by the War Department that the above named (John Godfrey) was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. and I the said justice of the peace do hereby further certify that it appears to me that George P. Smith and George Fisher who have signed and before me sworn to the preceding certificate are resident citizens of Lewis county in the said state of Virginia State of Virginia that they are credible men, and their entitled to credit. I the said justice of the peace do further certify that the app- licant resides at least 12 miles distant from Lewis county court house, that he is too frail to travel there without great inconvenience and risk, and that there is no clergyman residing near him.
Given under my hand at the county of Lewis in the state of Virginia this 5 th day of November A.D. 1833
David W. Sleeth J.P.
State of Virginia Lewis County ss.
I, John Talbott, Clerk of the County Court of Lewis County aforesaid do hereby certify that David W. Sleeth is a Magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Seal of Office at Weston this 2 nd day of December 1833-
J. Talbott Clk

Report on John Godfrey's case Applicant not entitled.
By Singleton Report

Leesburg County John Godfrey aged 87 yrs. born 2 yrs 2 mo.
John Godfrey July 1. 1834. When he made the following statement. — Said he none was much in the Revolutionary War. was not after the time a "whet" this was in Hardy County. Can't say exactly how long. perhaps two or three weeks, not longer. his trip was only a little bit of from "it was just there, for him" — this was all the service he did in the Revolutionary War. he was anxious to be a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Went from home to Fauquier Court house for that purpose. Col. Brock & Col. Ashby of that County. had him examined by a physician. who pronounced him unsound and incapable of bearing arms. having had his back broke. — on meeting with this rebuff & disappointment out. his military ardor was completely cooled — he returned home to Hardy County. and has been a peaceable man ever since .
Calvin Waldo hunts him out. & pursuaded him that he was entitled to a pension. though he did not deserve it. Waldo however insists on writing his declaration. and does so. he thought it was all a piece of fun. (he is a funny man) never thought of it since — Waldo has packed along with him some body he called a Major (did not look much like one) thinks his name was Slatts . Slatts took the paper written by Waldo and asked him (Godfrey) if it was all true. he replied that it was. still thinking it a joke. Slatts did not ask him to swear to it. — when the matter could they left him has heard nothing of him since.
Respectfully Reported.
W. G. Gillingham Special agent.